Political Quotes

“I begin by thanking Ranking Member Smith, Chairman Thornberry, and Chairman Wilson for their tireless work on this bill, as well as all the work on behalf of the staff of the full Armed Services Committee and my personal staff, Kathryn Mitchell and Amanda Donegan. Mr. Speaker, there is a lot to be proud of in the conference report before us today. This legislation both provides for the needs of our warfighters and ultimately takes strong steps towards strengthening our national security. The Emerging Threats and Capabilities portion of the NDAA, which I serve as ranking member of, first and foremost recognizes the importance of the cyber domain. After careful consideration, my colleagues and I came to the conclusion that the execution of cyberspace operations and the readiness of the Cyber Mission Forces warrants a new unified combatant command, now currently a sub-unified command under STRATCOM. The bill reiterates the importance of transparency and regular updates to Congress on cyber operations, internal policies and authorities, and other relevant issues and activities. This sets the stage for creating a formalized framework for oversight of U.S. Cyber Command next year. The legislation also formalizes the relationship between the principal cyber adviser to the Secretary of Defense and Cyber Command, aiding the successful execution of their respective roles and responsibilities. We have come to realize how important these distinctions are to both parties.…”